Today I spent the day at the SRT track experience, One of the instructors was telling us that the 08 will be the last model year for the Viper. He told us because the Engineer who was in charge of the Viper is retiring. The 08 was a blast to drive though, would have been more fun if I were shorter!
Thats what they told us today! its a shame , and a VERY STUPID reason to discontinue the Viper. Chrysler should send someone back to Home Depot before he castrates the rest of the company!
I'll have to type it up later, as of right now I have a splitting headache from to much sun all day (sensative eyes and living in florida sucks) plus I have a molar that is in desparate need of being pulled out! Needless to say my head hurts just a little.
Rumor has it possibly putting our Hemi's in them and just doing away with the SRT-10. Hopefully, but it sounds like they are doing away with them all together now.
Back in February, this artical was posted at VTCOA... But, it sounds like it isn't the lack of R&D funds anymore... http://jalopnik.com/354292/the-dodge-viper-is-dead-in-lieu-of-flowers-please-send-rd-funds
Herb Helbig has already retired, but 08 is NOT the last model year. In fact, the VCA already has a raffle out for the up and coming 09's. Dont count the Viper out just yet! There are a LOT of BS rumors flying around. No, SRT is not being discontinued. No, the Viper is not cancelled. No, the Viper is not getting a V-8. One rumor with a lot of weight, is that Cerberus is already trying to dump Chrysler in under the table talks. They admittedly didnt know what they are getting into, and dont know what they are doing. [and they should stay the hell out of businesses they know nothing about!] Hopefully chrysler will be sold off before it gets run into the ground, it was better off before Cerberus showed up- they did a REALLY good job of alienating their old customers, and pissing off their new ones, all in one move. there has never been so many ordering problems, parts supply isssues, delays, lack of info, etc as there is now.
Cerberus!!!!!! :chair: Those puckers!!!!! :mad2: First they kill the Magnum and now they're after the Viper, what a bunch of morons!! Turns out Dailmer actually wasn't so stupid after all, geez. Isn't there someone out there that can run our company properly?!?!
Best news I've heard yet this year! ------------------------------------ Here's my post on this subject from another forum: Discontinuing the Viper line could be the costliest mistake in Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth history. I take that back. Replace "could" with "would". Cerberus is obviously only interested in short-term gains. They want money, and they want it now. I have bad news for them: an automobile manufacturer is NOT a f*ckin' ATM machine. Look, if you guys want instant returns, open a damn liquor store....or- even better: a strip club. The Viper is the flagship of Dodge/Chrysler. In order to be on top (Cerberus speak: "Make a ton of money") you must have a flagship. Dodge has worked hard at it since the muscle car era, and have FINALLY whooped up on all the other US car makers....pwning them to at least 2 years back: The Thunderbird is gone; Mustang is a rental car unless you spend big coin (Viper coin) to get a Roush or Shelby setup; the Ford GT and Chevy Corvette are 6-figure cars, which makes them unrealistically obtainable by Joe Average. The previous owners have invested a shitload of time, effort, and (the most important part to Cerberus) money into the Viper line. They're a collective bunch of idiots if they're going to torch all that. That move will put them above Pete Best and John Rutsey on the list of "Those That Wake Up Every Morning And Mumble 'Fuuuuuuu**********kkkkkkkkk". The last step down for them would be to start designing and installing roundabouts. That's the ground floor, folks. So, they end the Viper. What's Chrysler's new flagship model? The Sebring? Ohhh....there's a convertible too. This reminds me of the Dio song, "LAST IN LINE". (Vivian Campbell FTW!!!) Get used to it Dodge. As long as Cerberus thinks (and believes) it can type in a PIN and get cash, DCX will be bringin' up the rear. But there will be Stow'N'Go seating back there.
Just posting what the instructor told us, which is also why I put "Posibly" in the title of this thread. I think we've all figured out that anything we've been told by either a dealer, chat session, blog/rumor all has to be taken with a grain of salt, and probably a shot of Quervo.... Who knows they could be trying to start the rumor to just see what the customers reaction would be.
Eh, they're contractors. They're not going to be privy to any more information than a dealer. Probably less. If they were, it would be under a non-disclosure agreement and you wouldn't hear it from them.
That's totally ridiculous, what would the chief engineer retiring have to do with cancelling a model that's already in production??? I don't know what the SRT instructor was smoking, but it's pretty well known already that the Viper IS likely to end production in 2010. It's public knowledge that the plant which produces the Viper is shutting down in 2010, and Chrysler has not announced any plans to produce the Viper beyond that, but it's not ending before that time.
The Viper ending in 2010 is also a rumor, never confirmed. The rumor mill was churning fierce on that one. The Conner Ave plant is also NO surprise, it was only running at 1/2 production to begin with. the Viper ebing incorporated into another plant really does make MUCH more sense. Also keep in mind, its only 08. 2010? By then, they could design the next generation easily, and a facelift & tweaking alone could carry it until 2012 if need be. The addition of forced induction would do little by the way of smog, and tweaking the already phenominal chassis could be further its lifespan in current form. Face it, these supercars are getting so fast that there is little room to gain anymore when considering CAFE is going to even the playing field quite a bit.
